Aston University

Aston University is lively, welcoming and cosmopolitan campus based university situated in the centre of Birmingham, the second largest city in the UK. It was founded in 1895 and in 1966, received the Royal Charter to be a University from Queen Elizabeth II. The campus is home to five schools (Business, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Languages and Social Sciences Life and Health Sciences and the Medical school) which offer foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research programmes. The University currently has a student population of over 14,000 (10,000 undergraduate and over 3,700 postgraduate) enrolled from 135 countries around the world.

Aston consistently ranks high in various international league tables. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 78% of research submitted was evaluated as 'world leading' or 'internationally recognised'. Other highlights include being in the top 100 Best 'Golden Age' Universities in the World (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2017), top 200 in the world (2018 QS Graduate Employability Rankings) and top 200 in Europe (Times Higher Education European University Rankings 2018).

Whatever undergraduate course you are studying, you can choose to study French, German, Spanish, Mandarin or Arabic whilst you are at Aston, either as an optional module within your degree programme or on an extra-curricular basis. The University offers over 30 Joint Honours degrees that allow you to study two separate subjects to Honours level but in a way which integrates the two academic areas.

For international students flying into the city, Birmingham Airport is 20 minutes train journey from Birmingham New Street Station, and London is a 90 minute journey by rail or two hours' drive. Our multi-cultural campus is no more than 20-30 minutes walking distance from the city’s main shopping and entertainment centres. Mercer Quality of Living Report 2015 ranked Birmingham City as having the highest quality of life of any other city in the UK outside of the capital. Aston University was ranked first for student quality of life in 2010, while FHM and Virgin Student ranked it amongst the friendliest universities in the country.

Services for International Students

An International Orientation Programme runs at the beginning of each year to provide information and support to new international students. Student volunteers or ‘Aston Aunties’ help to meet-and-greet students as they arrive at Birmingham Airport at specified times in the beginning of each academic year and help them adapt to the new culture and experiences awaiting them.

A team of International Student Advisers and Welfare staff who specialise in visas and immigration are available throughout the year, while students are also allocated a personal tutor to guide them through any academic issues during their study.

Ranking

• 36th in the Guardian University Guide 2020
• 56th in the Times University Guide 2019
• 34th in the Complete University Guide 2020
• 5* Rating for excellence in teaching, employability, innovation, facilities, inclusiveness and internationalization (QS, 2016-17)
• 84% student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2018)
• 2nd in UK for boosting graduate salaries (The Economist, based on Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset 2017)
• 82% employability rating from the Times/Sunday Times University Guide 2018

Subject ranking highlights include:

• 85th in Business & Economics (Times Higher Education 2018)
• Aston Business graduates earn £7,738 more than expected five years after graduation (The Economist)

2019 QS Subject Rankings for key courses:

• Top 100 for Business & Management Studies
• Top 200 for Accounting & Finance
• Top 250 for Linguistics and Accounting & Finance

Aston has 8 subject areas ranked in the top 30 in Europe and 2 in the top 20 in the world in the 2018 Eduniversal Rankings.

Aston Business School

Aston Business School is amongst the top 1% of Business Schools in the world to hold the "triple crown" accreditation from the most sought-after international accreditations (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS) and the school ranks consistently highly in both the Financial Times and the Economist’s rankings.

The Professional Development Programme is an integrated module which runs throughout all MSc programmes at Aston Business School and focuses on professional development and employability. This module gives students the opportunity to identify, develop and apply the key skills you will gain throughout the year. Students have the choice of four different streams in the final semester - Integrated Study Abroad, Work-based experience, Business Simulations on campus or work as a part of a team to develop a business idea and create a business plan to demonstrate your venture’s commercial potential.

Accommodation

Aston University guarantees international non-EU students campus accommodation for the whole of their study. EU students are guaranteed university campus accommodation for the first year of their studies and can apply for campus accommodation in the subsequent years.

Aston’s campus is in the centre of Birmingham and contains 3,000 en-suite rooms. They are all five minutes’ walk from the main university buildings and the centre of Birmingham. Apartments are self-catering and house between 5 and 12 students. On-campus facilities include launderettes, satellite television lounges, 24-hour library and numerous cafes, pubs and restaurants. Residence tutors and wardens are available to support students.

Location

Aston University campus is located in the centre of Birmingham, ‘Britain’s Second City’. Birmingham is a lively and multicultural city, with a population of approximately 1.2 million people. It currently hosts the largest number of theatres outside London and has a vibrant art, music and literary scene. Birmingham also has a strong nightlife and many festivals from the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade outside Dublin to the UK’s biggest indoor Christmas Market.